


The Fugitives (Anisoka)

by xophia



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Aged-Up Ahsoka Tano, Ahsoka Tano-centric, Anakin Skywalker Doesn't Turn to the Dark Side, Anakin Skywalker Leaves the Jedi Order, Anisoka, Bottom Anakin Skywalker, Canon Divergence - Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), F/M, Post-Season/Series 05, Post-The Fugitive Arc (Star Wars: Clone Wars), Protective Ahsoka Tano, References to Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008), Slow Build, Slow Burn, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27748522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xophia/pseuds/xophia
Summary: After Ahsoka Tano decides to leave the Jedi Order, Anakin soon follows in her footsteps. On their rogue misadventures, the pair discover unexpected friends, a hidden enemy, a secret plot against the Jedi, and feelings that they can no longer hide.(Canon-divergence after Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 5. Ahsoka is aged-up to her 20's because I love this ship but I'm not gross.)
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker/Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 22
Kudos: 99





	1. An Unlikely Pair

Ahsoka started running the moment the doors closed behind her. Something within her told her to get away from the temple before she had a chance to change her mind. She could hear rushed footsteps following her: Anakin. She blinked back tears as she ran, picking up her pace. She was in a full sprint now.

_Don’t turn back._

“Ahsoka!” There was an unfamiliar desperation in Anakin’s voice as he called for her. This decision was already painful enough, why did he have to make this even harder?

_Can’t turn back._

“Ahsoka! Wait!” As she reached the entrance to the Jedi Temple and stepped out into the evening sun, she slowed her pace a little. Despite the recent bombings and subsequent political unrest, Coruscant’s Temple District was quiet tonight. It seemed impossible that this was the same planet that housed the smoggy, overcrowded capital, yet, there it was, visible on the horizon. Already, she felt lighter-- freer-- outside the formidable walls of the temple.

“I have to talk to you!” Ahsoka took a deep breath and stopped running, allowing Anakin to catch up to her, but she did not turn to face him. “Ahsoka,” she sensed his presence directly behind her now.

“Anakin--” She kept her eyes fixed straight ahead.

“‘Why are you doing this?” his voice was steady, his years in the Jedi Order had taught him to mask his emotions well, but she could sense his uneasiness.

“The council didn’t trust me,” she replied, “so how can I trust myself?”

“What about me?” She turned to face him now. “I believed in you,” he said, “I stood by you.”

“I know you believe in me Anakin, and I’m grateful for that,” his eyes glinted as she said this, “but this isn’t about you. I can’t stay here any longer. Not now.”

“The Jedi Order is your life! You can’t just throw it away like this. You’re making a mistake.” She knew he was being earnest, but she knew better. That wasn’t true. Not anymore.

“Maybe,” she said, meeting his gaze, “But I have to sort this out on my own. Without the council. Without you.”

Anakin closed his eyes for a moment. _He really is a Jedi_ , Ahsoka thought, despite herself, as he maintained his composure completely, trying to think of what to say.

“I understand,” he said. Ahsoka furrowed her brow. That was not what she was expecting. Anakin was stubborn; he rarely conceded to her so easily. “More than you realize, I understand.”

“What do you mean?” she didn’t know why she was pressing the matter; she wanted to get this over with as quickly and painlessly as possible.

“I understand wanting to walk away from the Order.”

Of course. She had sensed this many times before. He was restless; he had been as long as she had known him. He hid it well around Obi-Wan and the rest of the Order, but he often let his guard down around his Padawan.

 _Former Padawan_.

“I know,” she said. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he didn’t speak. She wasn’t sure if she wanted him to or not, but his silence did not help motivate her to do what she knew she had to. She let her eyes linger on his for a moment before letting out a deep sigh. What more was there to say? As she began to turn away, she caught a glimpse of her silka beads still clutched in Anakin’s hand. For a split second, she pictured herself taking them and returning them to their place on her head. No. Never again. She wondered what he would do with them once she was gone. Maybe he would keep them, though that would surely be against the Order’s rules; or maybe they would go to some other Padawan. Most likely, she figured, turning away from him once again, they would be discarded or lost.

 _Goodbye, Master_.

Had she meant to say it out loud? Perhaps it was better left unsaid; she wasn’t sure that she could bring herself to say it without crying anyway.

“Then you know what I have to do,” he said, stopping her dead in her tracks.

“No,” she couldn’t help but smile a bit, relieved to have a moment of normal conversation, however fleeting it may be, “I don’t think I do, Master.”

“Hmph, I’m disappointed in you, Snips,” he was joking around, but the words still stung a bit, “Have we always been this out of sync?”

“You can’t come with me.” Of course she knew what he was thinking, but he couldn’t be serious. This was another one of Anakin’s manic, spur-of-the-moment plans-- and it wasn’t even a plan! Once again, she was the level-headed one talking him out of letting his emotions take control.

“So you do know then?”

“I know what you think you have to do,” she replied with a sigh, “but I also know it’s crazy.”

“Crazier than what you’re doing?”

She turned to face him. “The Jedi turned their backs on me--”

“On us,” he cut her off.

She stared blankly at him. “What?”

“I never doubted you, Ahsoka. I never would. I plead your case to the Council, but they didn’t listen to me either,” he let out a deep breath and rubbed his temple, “This isn’t the first time they’ve doubted my judgment.”

“I know you and the Council have had your differences, but this-- This isn’t something to be taken lightly.”

“I know.” She could tell from the look in his eyes that he was telling the truth. Still, she was not convinced he was being rational.

“Once you leave you can’t come back,” she pointed out, “The Jedi Order is your life more than it’s mine! You’re a knight, a commander in the Clone Army! You’re--”

“The Chosen One?” Ahsoka bit her tongue. She wasn’t going to admit it, but, of course, that had been on her mind. “The Chosen One is a myth, Ahsoka. You know that.”

“What about Obi-Wan? He believes it, right?”

Anakin restrained himself from rolling his eyes. “Wouldn’t be the first time Obi-Wan believed something that isn’t true.”

That was a good point; up until today Obi-Wan had been one of the Jedi who believed that she was guilty of killing Letta Turmond and possibly orchestrating the bombing at the Temple.

“What about Master Yoda?” She wasn’t sure why she was defending any of the members of the Jedi Council to him, but she knew she couldn’t let him do this.

“Master Yoda has always doubted the prophecy,” Anakin replied, “Ever since I was first brought before the council, he has made it very clear that he questions the validity of the prophecy.”

Ahsoka blinked, surprised. That was news to her. “So what’s your plan?”

“What?”

“What are you going to do? Just walk out of here with me? Never look back--”

“No,” he cut her off, “I can’t leave now, obviously. But I do have a plan.”

“Okay, what is it?” she asked.

Anakin chuckled. “I’ll find you, Snips.”

“When?”

“Soon.”

“Where?” Ahsoka crossed her arms. This didn’t seem like much of a plan.

“Wherever you are.” He put a hand on his hip, matching her sass. Ahsoka couldn’t help but smile at this.

“You’re just going to find me? Wherever I go, anywhere in the galaxy?”

“That’s the plan,” he replied, his usual overly-confident tone returning to his voice.

“Okay, Skyguy,” she said with a smirk, “I guess I’ll see you around then.”

Anakin reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. “You will,” he promised. She sensed that he was sincere and she could see it in his eyes. A part of her wanted to believe that it was true, but she still had her doubts. Anakin chuckled, probably sensing her doubts and how ridiculous she thought he was being. She rolled her eyes and laughed a little in response. And then, with a final nod, he turned around and walked back toward the temple entrance.

Ahsoka felt her smile fade as she watched him go. Despite her best judgement, she really hoped this was not the last time she would see him.

 _It won’t be_ , her senses told her. But under what circumstances would they meet again? Ahsoka wasn’t sure. She was only sure of one thing: she had to leave. Now. She had to figure out a life for herself outside of the Jedi Order. Without her friends. Without Anakin. She took a heavy breath as she started down the stairs and into her new life.

Ahsoka had never known life outside the Jedi. She hopped on a civilian transport headed for Westport, but she had to admit that she had no idea what she would do once she was there. She would have to find a ride if she was going to get off-world. She had enough credits to buy a used speeder, but nowhere near enough for a ship. Emigration it was, then. But to where?

It was on this long transport ride that Ahsoka became keenly aware that she was weaponless. She sadly recalled the memory of her lightsabers being confiscated when she was taken into custody. There was no way she was ever going to see those again. She made a mental note to find a weapon of some kind as quickly as she could. A Jedi, even an ex-Jedi, could rake in quite the reward on the black market; she would need a way to defend herself in case she came across bounty hunters. She scanned the crowded freighter and noticed a man standing near the exit who had a small blaster pistol sticking out of his robes.

 _You’ve been out of the Order an hour and you’re already stealing?_ Ahsoka quieted the voice in the back of her mind as she tried to devise a plan. She needed to hang on to the few credits she had. Besides, this guy looked well off: he dressed like the senators she had grown accustomed to hanging around during her tenure as a Padawan. She got up and crossed to the other side of the transport, so that she was standing directly behind him.

She needed a distraction. Nothing too dramatic, just enough to slip the gun out of the man’s holster without anyone noticing. There was a security droid nearby that she thought ought to do the trick. She closed her eyes and focused her energy. She pictured the droid short-circuiting, sparking as it crumpled to the ground.

 _Clank_!

She opened her eyes and saw that, indeed, the droid had toppled onto its side, drawing the attention of the passengers nearby. Quickly, she stuck out her hand, focusing her energy once more, and with the flick of her wrist, the pistol was in her grip. She slipped into her belt where she usually kept her lightsaber and folded her arms casually over herself to hide it from view. She looked around, cautiously. No one seemed to have noticed her little stunt.

“Wasn’t that a cute trick?” asked a voice from behind her. She didn’t have to look to know who it was.

Ventress.

“What are you doing here?” Ahsoka hissed, instinctually gripping the pistol. She didn’t want to cause a scene, but it was smarter to be ready just in case.

“I could ask you the same question,” Ventress replied casually, “Your friend told me that you had been arrested for the Jedi Temple bombing. Did you manage to escape again?”

Ahsoka was confused. “My friend?”

“Skywalker,” Ventress replied, her distaste apparent in her voice.

“You spoke with Anakin?”

“‘Spoke with’ is putting it kindly,” Ventress said, “he was not happy about your arrest and he seemed to blame me for the entire situation. Which,” she glared at Ahsoka through squinted eyes, “is ironic, because the way I recall it, I was the one who helped you hide from the Jedi when they turned on you.”

“Sorry about that,” Ahsoka wasn’t sure why she was apologizing to Ventress of all people, “I was framed by Barriss Offee. She attacked me right before the Jedi arrested me, but she was disguised. I thought she was you. She confessed to the bombings… I thought she was my friend…”

“But the Jedi didn’t take you back?” Ventress asked.

“They offered, but… I couldn’t stay,” Ahsoka admitted.

“I understand.” Ahsoka met Ventress’ eyes. She supposed she had never really thought of Ventress as a person before. They had been enemies fighting on opposite sides of the war, but now neither of them had a side. Ventress continued, “Where are you going to go?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Ahsoka said, “As far away from here as I can get.”

“Do you have a ship?” Ventress asked.

“No,” Ahsoka confessed.

“I might be able to help you with that.” Ventress smiled coyly.

“Why would you help me?” Ahsoka asked.

“Well it wouldn’t be out of the kindness of my heart.”

“Of course.” Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “What's your price?”

“I’ve got a job I could use some help with,” Ventress told her, “I could cut you a deal.”

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow, skeptical. “What kind of a deal?”

“You help me with the job. If it’s successful, I’ll give you my ship.”

“Your ship?” Ahsoka was surprised. “What kind of ship?”

“Corellian corvette,” Ventress replied.

“That’s a nice ship,” Ahsoka observed, “How did you manage to get your hands on a corvette?”

“That’s the part I need your help with.” A sly smile snaked its way across Ventress’ lips.

“You want me to help you steal a ship?” Ahsoka asked.

“You’re already a thief aren’t you?” Ventress glanced down at the pistol which Ahsoka was still gripping involuntarily.

“Let me get this straight,” Ahsoka said with a glare, “You want me to steal a ship for you so that you can run a job. Then, as payment for helping you with the job, you will give me the ship that _I stole_?”

“Exactly.”

“That is literally the worst bargain I have ever heard in my life!” Ahsoka said, exasperated.

Ventress smirked. “I never said it was a bargain.”

“No deal,” Ahsoka said, turning away from Ventress. “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t need your help stealing a ship.”

Ventress thought for a moment and then said, “I’ll give you ten percent.”

“Twenty-five,” Ahsoka retorted, “and the ship. That’s my final offer.”

“Twenty and the ship,” Ventress retorted, “Trust me. In this case, twenty percent is a _big_ payout.”

Ahsoka looked skeptical. “What is this job, anyway?”

Ventress smiled. “Do you really wanna know?”

Ahsoka let out a sigh. “No.” She weighed the possibilities for a moment and then nodded slowly. “Fine. You’ve got a deal.”

* * *

Stealing things turned out to be a lot of fun, actually. Ahsoka couldn’t help but imagine the horrified faces her friends on the Jedi council would have made if they knew how much of a thrill she had gotten from stealing the corvette off of the Westport docks.

“That’s the one,” Ventress whispered, pointing toward a white corvette with blue markings, glittering in the evening light.

“That is a nice ship,” Ahsoka admitted, scouting the surrounding area.

“Diplomat named Jaa Tanau,” Ventress replied with a shrug, “But he’s not here. It’s the dock workers we have to worry about. Most of the workers around here have been well-trained to keep away smugglers and thieves, so they’re likely impervious to Jedi mind tricks.”

“We’ll need a diversion,” Ahsoka agreed.

“Like your stunt with the droid?” Ventress asked with a smirk.

“Exactly,” Ahsoka replied. “There aren’t a lot of people working over here so it shouldn’t take much…” She looked around. “See those fuel canisters over there?” Ahsoka pointed to a large shipment of fuel which was being stored nearby. “Could you set those on fire without blowing this whole place up?”

“No,” she said, “Even the least volatile fuels will explode if that quantity catches fire. But, I could possibly syphon some from a canister and use it to set something else on fire.”

“Okay,” Ahsoka said, “I’ll go talk to that worker and make sure his back is to you. You set something on fire-- it’ll have to be big enough to distract all the workers nearby, but nothing too destructive-- and meet me onboard.”

“Alright,” Ventress said, pulling up the hood of her cloak to cover her face.

“If you’re not onboard by the time I’m ready to take off, I’m leaving you,” Ahsoka added, only half-joking.

“I’ll be there,” Ventress responded, not joking at all.

“Okay, here I go. Hey!” Ahsoka waved her hand above her head as she ran over to the worker who was guarding the ship.

“Can I help you, miss?” the worker asked her. Out of the corner of her eye, Ahsoka caught a glimpse of Ventress darting toward the fuel supply before disappearing out of sight.

“Yes! Um, I’m totally lost,” Ahsoka replied, feigning helplessness, “My friend is giving me passage to Naboo and he told me to meet him at his ship, but, um, I forgot where he said it was docked.”

“Oh, well I can certainly look that up for you,” he said, gesturing toward his datapad, “What’s your friend’s name?”

“Skywalker,” Ahsoka said the first name that popped into her mind, “Um, Rex S--Skywalker.”

“Hm. Rex Skywalker. Skywalker,” the worker mumbled to himself as he searched through the list of names in his datapad, “I don’t see any ‘Skywalker’s listed here.”

 _Hurry up, Ventress_ , Ahsoka thought to herself, but out loud she said, “Really? That’s so strange. He said he was in Westport, unless-- Oh no! Do you think it’s possible he’s at Newport?”

“Um, I’m not sure, Miss,” the worker responded, scratching his head. "I’m not seeing his name here.”

“Could you look again?” Ahsoka asked, batting her eyelashes in a manner which she hoped was convincing and not too over-the-top.

“Well, I suppose I could. Could you spell it for me?” The worker asked.

“Sure! It’s R-E-X S-K-Y-W,” just then, a small, orange light appeared a few feet behind the worker. Perfect timing. “A-L-K-E-R,” Ahsoka finished as the small orange flame erupted into a fire nearly the size of the ship she was trying to steal. “Holy Stars!” She shouted at the worker, pointing at the fire behind him.

“What? How did that happen?” The worker asked, suddenly overwhelmed. Several other workers from the surrounding area began running toward the fire to investigate.

“Should you, maybe, deal with that?” Ahsoka asked, trying not to be too forward.

“Yeah, uh, sorry Miss,” he said, already taking off toward the flames.

“Nice one,” Ahsoka mumbled under her breath as she sneaked backwards onto the ship, ensuring that no one was watching. Once onboard, she ran to the bridge and began to prep the ship for takeoff.

“Pretty good diversion, if I do say so myself,” Ventress said, appearing behind Ahsoka. Before Ahsoka had the chance to respond, Ventress hit the doors and said, “Now let’s get out of here!”


	2. Maelstrom

Anakin wasn’t surprised to find Obi-Wan waiting for him inside the temple. His old master stood near the entrance, hands folded over his chest, trying and failing to appear casual. Anakin walked past him, pretending not to notice.

“Anakin!” He should’ve known Obi-Wan wasn’t going to let him get away that easily. He stopped, letting out a deep sigh, and allowed Obi-Wan to catch up to him. 

“She’s gone,” Anakin said, clutching Ahsoka’s silka beads in his hand, “She really left.”

“I know,” Obi-Wan replied. Though he tried to mask it, Anakin could tell that Obi-Wan was saddened by his Padawan's decision to leave as well. “I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan continued, “I know this is difficult--”

“Do you ever regret it?” Anakin cut him off. 

“Regret what?” Obi-Wan asked, surprised. 

“Staying,” Anakin said. 

Obi-Wan smiled, a little sadly. “Everyone has doubts, Anakin.”

“I’m not talking about doubts,” Anakin said, letting out a heavy breath. “Would you really have left? If Satine had asked you to?”

Obi-Wan let out a nervous laugh, “Anakin, you know I just said that to--”

“But would you have?” Anakin cut him off. Obi-Wan locked eyes with Anakin, unsure what to say. Anakin was well aware that this was the most personal question he had ever asked his former master. Did he really think that Obi-Wan would give him an honest answer? Anakin sighed and shook his head. He was about to turn to leave, when Obi-Wan spoke. 

“Yes,” he admitted, his voice low and quiet. “Yes, I think I would have.” 

Anakin was shocked; this was the most vulnerable Obi-Wan had ever been with him. 

“Do you ever wish she had?” Anakin asked, hoping he wasn’t over-stepping. 

Obi-Wan let out a sigh. “Sometimes, yes,” he admitted, “But Master Windu was right, Anakin. The Force works in mysterious ways. This is my path; I’m sure of that.”

Anakin doubted how sure of it Obi-Wan actually was, but he decided not to press the matter. “Do you think Ahsoka will come back?” 

“I don’t know,” Obi-Wan replied, “I hope she does as much as you do, but it’s up to her to find her path. You know that.” 

“Yeah,” Anakin averted his gaze. “Could you do me a favor?”

“That depends,” Obi-Wan said, giving Anakin a look, “What do you have in mind?”

“Do you know what happened to Ahsoka’s lightsabers?” Anakin asked. 

“I’m sure the council has them,” Obi-Wan replied.

“Do you think you could… get them for me?” Anakin braced himself for Obi-Wan’s response, but, to his surprise, his former master scratched his chin and nodded.

“I could try,” he said, “Why do you want them?”

Anakin shifted nervously, “I just want to make sure they’re in safe hands. In case she does decide to return.”

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan shook his head, ‘I’m sure they’re perfectly safe where they are--”

“Please?” Anakin met Obi-Wan’s eyes, “I’m asking you as a friend. Will you try? For me.”

Obi-Wan shook his head, but smiled. After a moment he said, “Okay, Anakin. I’ll see what I can do.” 

“Thank you,” Anakin said with a smile. “I’ve gotta run; I’ll see you later. Keep me updated about those lightsabers!” Anakin gave Obi-Wan a pat on the shoulder as he ran past him, back toward the temple’s entrance. 

“Where exactly are you going?” Obi-Wan called after him. 

Anakin turned around to face him, still jogging backwards toward the exit. “I’ve got some things I’ve gotta do.”

“What kind of things?” Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, skeptical. 

“I won’t be back until tomorrow. Can you cover for me?” 

“Cover for-- What are you talking about? Anakin!” Obi-wan shouted after him, but he was already out the door. 

Anakin took a speeder to the Senate district. He had always liked flying on his own, though he didn’t get many chances to do so these days. It calmed his nerves, even in Coruscant’s heavy traffic. He hoped that Obi-Wan wouldn’t be too mad about him running off, but he figured that if ever Obi-Wan was going to cut him some slack, today would be the day. He supposed it didn’t really matter either way, considering what he was planning... 

_No_ , Anakin stopped himself. For now, he needed to focus on the present. Besides, if Obi-Wan sensed that he was thinking of leaving, that could put a major damper on his plans. 

He arrived at the complex in record time and headed straight for Padme’s apartment. He took a moment to collect himself before knocking on the door. 

“Who's there?” Padme’s voice called from the other side of the door.

“A friend,” Anakin replied coyly. He couldn’t help but beam a smile as Padme opened the door, throwing her arms around him the moment he was inside.

“Ani!” Padme exclaimed, “What are you doing here?” 

“Do I need a reason to surprise my wife?” Anakin asked, planting a small kiss on her forehead. 

“Who was at the-- Oh! Master Skywalker!” C-3PO exclaimed, entering the room, “How good to see you!”

“Good to see you too, 3PO”” Anakin said, giving the droid a little nod. 

“3PO,” Padme said, “Would you go fetch us some refreshments, please?” 

“Oh! Of course, Senator Amidala! I will be right back,” C-3PO replied and swiftly left the room once again, mumbling contentedly to himself. 

“Will you be staying?” Padme asked, motioning for Anakin to sit with her on the sofa. 

“Obviously,” He replied, “As long as that’s okay with you,” he teased.

“Of course it is,” Padme said, rolling her eyes. “How did you manage to get a night away?” 

“I told Obi-Wan I needed a day off,” Anakin replied casually.

“And that worked?” Padme asked, skeptical. 

“Of course it did,” Anakin said. 

Padme shook her head and gave him a knowing look. “What’s going on, Ani?”

“Nothing,” he replied, shrugging off the question.

“Hey,” Padme said, grabbing Anakin’s chin, forcing him to look her in the eye, “Those vague excuses may work on Obi-Wan, but not on me. I can tell there's something wrong. What’s going on? Tell me. Please.” 

“Ahsoka…” Anakin took a breath. He realized this was the first time he was saying this out loud. “Ahsoka decided to leave the Order.” 

“What? Oh, Ani that’s terrible!” Padme exclaimed, “I’m so sorry.” She reached out a hand to brush his hair out of his face, but he waved it away. 

“It’s alright,” Anakin said, staring down at his hands, “I understand her decision. The Jedi turned on her the minute things got messy. They treated her like a criminal--”

“You didn’t,” Padme pointed out, trying to reassure him. “You believed in her.” 

“I was the only one,” Anakin remarked, his face falling.

After a moment, Padme reached out and took his hand. “There’s something else. What’s bothering you?”

Anakin met her eyes. Right now, all he wanted was to have a pleasant evening, but he had a plan. He had been _hoping_ to save it for after dinner, but he should’ve known Padme would be suspicious. “You want to know the real reason I got away with taking a night off?” he asked. 

“Yes!” Padme said with a strained laugh, “What’s going on?”

“The Council has given me an assignment,” he said, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. “I’ll have to leave soon.”

“Soon?" she asked, scooting closer to him, "How soon?" 

“Tomorrow,” Anakin replied.

“What is the assignment?” she asked. 

“It’s a secret,” he said, “It’s important. But I might be gone for a while.”

“How long?” Padme asked, furrowing her brow.

Just then, C-3PO re-entered, carrying a tray with two glasses on it. He crossed to Padme and Anakin, who took a drink before responding.

“I don’t know,” he said, avoiding her eyes, “It could be quite a while.”

“Well,” Padme ran a hand through Anakin’s hair, trying to keep her spirits up, “it must be an important assignment if they’re sending you away on such short notice.” 

“It is,” Anakin assured her. 

“At least we have tonight,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Yeah,” Anakin agreed, a twinge of guilt rushing through him. “At least we have tonight.”

* * *

“Check it out,” Ahsoka said, leaning on the doorframe of the corvette’s cabin. Ventress turned around to face her. 

“Men’s clothes,” Ventress said, unimpressed at Ahsoka's new get-up. 

“I don’t want to look like a Jedi,” Ahsoka remarked, “I don’t want to look like me at all.”

“Well, you’ve accomplished that,” Ventress said, rolling her eyes, “You look ridiculous, but you certainly don’t look like a Jedi.” 

“I also found these,” Ahsoka said, tossing a comlink to Ventress. “Could come in handy.”

“Well, aren’t you resourceful?” Ventress said with a smirk. 

“This ship is huge,” Ahsoka replied, plopping down in the corvette’s co-pilot seat. 

“Well good for you. If everything goes according to plan, soon it will be yours,” Ventress said.

Ahsoka looked around. “I think I’ll sell it,” she said, “It’s not exactly inconspicuous. I don’t know what I’d need a ship this big for anyway.” 

“What you do with your ship is your business and, quite frankly, I don’t care about your business,” Ventress said. “Once this job is over you can go back to Coruscant and rejoin your Jedi Order for all I care.”

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Ahsoka said, a little too sadly. She tried to snap herself out of it before Ventress noticed her showing weakness. “So, about this job… Where are we going exactly?”

“Kessel,” Ventress answered.

“Kessel!?” Ahsoka exclaimed, horrified. 

“Yes,” Ventress replied calmly, “The Pykes have quite the relationship with exporters on Kessel.”

“The Pykes?” Ahsoka asked, putting her head in her hands. “I can’t believe I let you trick me into running spice for the Pykes!”

“Not quite,” Ventress corrected her, “This isn't a spice run.”

“Somehow that isn't comforting,” Ahsoka said, rubbing her temples. “What exactly have you gotten us into?” 

“We’ll be transporting a shipment of coaxium to the Pykes on Oba Diah,” Ventress explained. “The syndicate has built their own refinery in order to eliminate the middlemen.”

“Coaxium!?” Ahsoka, stressed, nearly fell out of her chair this time. “Isn’t unrefined coaxium, like, extremely dangerous?”

“If you don’t know how to handle it,” Ventress replied. 

“Oh, and _you_ know how to handle it?” Ahsoka raised an eyebrow at Ventress. 

“Of course,” Ventress said, though she didn’t sound convincing enough to inspire much confidence in Ahsoka. “It’ll be an easy job for you,” Ventress continued, “The miners on Kessel will help load the coaxium; all you have to do is get us to Oba Diah. I’ll make the trade with the Pykes, you’ll get your cut, and then we never have to see each other again.” 

“No wonder this job’s paying so well,” Ahsoka said, rolling her eyes, “it’s illegal _and_ dangerous.”

“There’s a reason the Pykes don’t do their dirty work themselves,” Ventress replied.

“That doesn't make me feel any better,” said Ahsoka. 

“Well, you better start feeling better,” Ventress said, “because we’re almost there.” Just then, as if manifested by her words, the ship slowed out of hyperspace and Ahsoka found herself staring down at the brown mining planet. 

_Great_ , she thought to herself, preparing for their descent, _this ought to be fun_. So far in her life, Ahsoka had managed to avoid Kessel, but she had heard plenty of stories about the treachery on the planet’s surface. The whole operation rubbed her the wrong way, from the slave labor in the mines to the Pyke Syndicate on Oba Diah, but for now she had no choice but to sit back and try to enjoy the ride. 

Ahsoka stood up when the corvette landed at the pick-up spot on Kessel’s surface, but Ventress stuck out an arm to stop her. 

“You stay here,” Ventress instructed, “Prep the ship for takeoff and the trip to Oba Diah. We’ll have to be quick once the coaxium’s been loaded.” 

“How come you get to have all the fun?” Ahsoka teased, though she was mostly joking. The less involved she was in this whole smuggling business, the better. Ventress rolled her eyes in response and headed for the ship’s exit. 

Ahsoka plopped herself down into the pilot’s chair and began prepping the ship for flight. It was now, for the first time since this crazy mission started, that Ahsoka had a quiet moment alone with her thoughts. As she plugged in the coordinates for Oba Diah, she wondered what Anakin would think of this mission if he were here now. He detested slavery, so Kessel would probably not be on his list of favorite planets to visit, but she couldn’t help thinking that the thrill of smuggling millions of credits worth of extremely volatile coaxium halfway across the galaxy would have been impossible for him to resist. A smile crept across her face as she pictured Anakin showing off his pilot skills on the Kessel run. She missed him. She felt silly for missing him already-- she’d only left the Jedi Order yesterday-- but she couldn’t deny that the feeling was there. Usually when they were apart she knew exactly when she would see him next, as long as she didn’t get killed in battle first, but this new uncertainty was confusing.

She remembered what he said back at the temple about having a plan to leave. She closed her eyes and focused her energy, picturing Anakin the best she could in her mind’s eye, trying to reach him. 

_Nothing_. 

That shouldn’t have been a shock; Coruscant was hundreds of parsecs away. She heaved a sigh and rested her head in her hands, deciding it was best not to think about it too much. As much as she hoped that they would be reunited soon, she couldn’t bear to think of the alternatives right now. 

It wasn’t long before the ship was re-fueled and the coaxium was loaded onto the ship safely in its temperature-controlled containers. 

“Let’s get out of here,” Ventress said as she slid into the co-captain’s seat.

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Ahsoka said, eager to escape her thoughts.

“Be careful,” Ventress warned as the ship took off and began ascending through the atmosphere.

“I know how to fly a ship,” Ahsoka replied, a little annoyed.

“The Kessel Run is dangerous,” Ventress said, “Have you ever flown through the Maelstrom before?” 

“No,” Ahsoka said, “But I can handle myself, thanks.”

“I hope you’re right,” Ventress replied, squinting her eyes skeptically, “The Maelstrom is difficult, even for the most gifted pilots.”

“Well, lucky for you I learned from the best,” Ahsoka spat back, “and I’m not interested in becoming verminoth-fodder today,” she added. She had heard stories about the giant, squid-like creatures which terrorized ships near Kessel, but she pushed the thought of them from her mind as quickly as she could. Smugglers dealt with them all the time, so how terrifying could they really be?

The answer was very. Very terrifying. The Kessel Run’s route didn’t so much run _through_ The Maelstrom as it snaked along beside it. Ahsoka figured getting eaten by a giant verminoth or sucked into a gravity well was probably less terrifying than flying successfully through the labyrinthine storm. She thanked the stars that the run was only about 20 parsecs; she didn’t think she could take much more than that. 

_Really, Snips?_ She could hear Anakin’s voice in the back of her mind. _You’re gone one day and you’re already having this much fun without me?_

_I wish I wasn’t_ , Ahsoka thought, _Everything’s easier when you’re here_. 

_Where’s the fun in easy?_ Anakin’s voice in her mind asked, _You learned from me, didn’t you? And--_

 _You’re the best pilot in the galaxy_ , Ahsoka couldn’t help but smile. Bantering with Anakin always made her feel a little lighter, even in the darkest moments. Even if he wasn’t here now, the version of him which lived inside her mind was right. She’d survived war; compared to that, the Kessel Run should be a piece of cake. Maybe this could be fun after all. She tried to think of what Anakin would do if he were in her position. Probably something reckless and stupid. She glanced over at the navigation controls. She figured being reckless and stupid was probably something she could handle too.

Ahsoka closed her eyes, keenly aware that Ventress was on-edge as-is, and focused her energy on the storm surrounding them. After a moment, she could picture it in her mind. There was a clear path through the storm and the corvette was flying nicely through it, yet Ahsoka couldn’t help but notice a thin sliver of space which sliced through the Maelstrom just a little ways ahead. If she rerouted the ship to take that path instead, it would essentially be a straight shot to Oba Diah, cutting several parsecs off their trip. Ahsoka opened her eyes, glancing over at Ventress before taking over the navigation controls. 

“What are you doing?” Ventress asked as Ahsoka charted the new course through the storm. 

“Change of plans,” Ahsoka replied, “Shortcut.” She hoped that she sounded casual and confident, though now she was high on adrenaline. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as the ship veered hard to the right, aligning with her new course. 

“Shortcut?” Ventress asked, fear mounting in her voice. “We can’t afford to risk a shortcut!”

“We can’t afford to risk this coaxium blowing us to pieces because we didn’t make it to the refinery in time,” Ahsoka shot back. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this under control.” 

“I don’t know if I believe that,” Ventress replied.

“Well, you don’t have much of a choice,” Ahsoka said with a laugh. “You’re the one who asked me to come along!”

“A decision I am regretting more and more each moment,” said Ventress.

“You’ll thank me later,” Ahsoka said with a wink. 

“You are just as frustrating as Skywalker,” Ventress responded, tensing up as they plummeted into the much smaller and bumpier path Ahsoka had set them on. 

“Well, I learned from the best,” Ahsoka replied. She focused her energy back on their route; this was going to be a bit more difficult than she anticipated. “So, Ventress. let’s say this shortcut was full of carbonbergs--”

“Let’s say?” Ventress cut her off, “Or it _is_ full of carbonbergs?”

“It is,” Ahsoka clarified. 

“Great!” Ventress exclaimed, “This shortcut is going just wonderfully already!” 

“I can definitely navigate the ship around the big ones,” Ahsoka replied, wondering how she came to be the calm and collected one in this situation.

“And what about the not-big ones?” Ventress asked. 

“Well, there’s a chance that we could hit some debris or smaller ‘bergs when flying around the bigger ones,” said Ahsoka, “This path is pretty narrow and there isn’t a lot of room for error.”

“Is this supposed to be inspiring confidence?” 

“No! It’s supposed to be inspiring you to get to the canons and prepare to fire on any debris small enough to blow up with a laser blast!” Ahsoka was shouting now, despite herself, as she was forced to take control of the ship which was barreling at light-speed toward a planet-sized hunk of carbon. 

“If we survive this, I am going to kill you,” Ventress hissed, standing from her seat and nearly falling over as the ship veered hard to the left. 

“If we survive this, you’ll be too rich to care about me,” Ahsoka replied, “But we won’t survive it if you don’t get to the canons!” 

Ventress didn’t have time to respond before the ship jolted suddenly, scraping the top of a hunk of some debris flung towards them by the storm. 

“Please!” Ahsoka yelled to her, “We can’t afford any more hits like that!”

That seemed to be motivation enough for Ventress to obey and she quickly exited the bridge, rushing toward the canons. Ahsoka took a deep breath to quiet her mind, though it didn’t calm her nerves. It would take more skills than she had just to navigate around the giant carbonbergs which littered the winding path she had set them down; after that, she would have to trust Ventress to clear a path wide enough for their ship to get through without taking too much damage. 

_Alright Skyguy,_ she thought to herself, _time to put your flying lessons to the test._ She veered the ship hard to the left and barely managed to get on a course around the first carbonberg which was hurdling quickly towards them. 

“This is impossible!” she exclaimed, overwhelmed by the tens of giant hunks of carbon which lay in her path. 

_Nothing's impossible_ _if you’re lucky_ , she remembered Anakin telling her once before. 

_The Jedi don’t believe in luck_ , Ahsoka thought.

“Good thing I taught you otherwise.” The voice was so clear that she could have sworn it was actually Anakin speaking to her, not just a voice in the back of her mind. 

“Well then, wish me luck,” she said, forcing her eyes closed. She could hear the sounds of the laser cannons firing as Ventress cleared a path for her. She quieted her mind and focused on the task at hand. Even with Anakin’s training, she knew she didn’t have the skill to pilot the ship through the corkscrew path, but she did have a few other tricks up her sleeve. 

“I am one with the force,” she whispered to herself, “And the force is with me. I am one with the force and the force is with me,” she repeated the mantra, again and again, as she allowed her feelings to take over. She could feel the force moving in her, through her, and through the ship and through the space around it. She leaned into her feelings and allowed them to guide her as she maneuvered the ship through the maze of carbon and debris. She felt the ship shake as one of the ‘bergs scraped the side of the corvette, but she couldn’t let that faze her. She continued to focus, steering the ship hard to the right.

 _Good! Good! That was great, Ahsoka!_ Anakin’s voice echoed in her head. She grinned, but knew she couldn’t break her focus, even for a moment. 

“I am one with the force and the force is with me,” she allowed the force to consume her; it was as if she was no longer in control of her body at all, but watching from a distance as she piloted the ship with a precision and skill that could have even bested Anakin’s. She could hear the canon’s firing, the debris exploding around her; she could feel the pressure building in the space around her as the ship sped toward one final massive carbonberg. And then--

“Woo!” Ahsoka cried involuntarily as she was dropped back into her body suddenly. The air around her felt like a thousand tiny fireworks exploding all at once. She wasn’t quite sure if she had steered the ship miraculously out of the ‘bergs path or if she had somehow moved the carbon out of hers. Either way, she felt a rush like none she had ever felt before as she set the ship back on its course to Oba Diah. Compared to that, the rest of the flight should be a breeze. 

“We did it!” She exclaimed to Ventress as she returned to the bridge, looking somehow unimpressed. 

“We wouldn’t have had to ‘do it’ if you hadn’t decided to take this little ‘shortcut’,” Ventress reminded her.

“You’ll be grateful for my shortcut when we get the Pykes their fuel earlier than expected,” Ahsoka said. 

Ventress rolled her eyes. “This is the last time I work with you.” 

“Fine by me,” Ahsoka replied, relaxing back into her seat. 

The pair spent the rest of the flight to Oba Diah in relative silence, Ahsoka thinking of the best way to tell the story of the feat they’d just accomplished. She knew the Jedi weren’t supposed to brag, but, hey, she wasn’t a Jedi anymore. 

When they arrived at the Pyke’s refinery, Ahsoka helped Ventress unload the coaxium from its place in the cargo bay. 

“Let me do the talking,” Ventress said, “Then I’ll give you your cut and we can go our separate ways. At last.” 

“Fine by me,” Ahsoka agreed as the two of them carried the large crates of coaxium to the ship’s exit.

Lom Pyke was waiting for them on the dock. “You’re early,” he said, his voice somewhere between impressed and skeptical. 

“I told you I was the best,” Ventress responded. Ahsoka rolled her eyes. 

“Hmm,” was Lom Pyke’s only response. He glanced over at Ahsoka, but didn’t say anything. “I have your payment here,” he motioned to a large case in his hand, “I will give it to you once the coaxium has been unloaded.” The moment he said this, his dock workers got quickly to work, grabbing crates of coaxium and carrying them toward the refinery. Lom Pyke smiled as the workers began to pull the volatile, glowing tubes from their crates. “Yes, this will please my Master very much,” he said, mostly to himself.

“I thought you were the boss around here,” Ahsoka said, crossing her arms. Ventress shot her a look.

Lom Pyke glared at her. “Yes, well. Everyone has their superiors,” he hissed. 

“Not me,” she smirked. 

“I don’t believe I’ve met your friend,” Lom Pyke said to Ventress.

“Give us our payment and, if you’re lucky, you’ll never have to,” Ventress spat back. 

“Very well,” he agreed, handing Ventress the case full of credits. “It’s all there, just as we agreed.” Ventress opened the case and checked inside.

“So who is this superior of yours anyway?” Ahsoka asked, curious. Suddenly, she felt a chill run down her back as the air around her grew cold.

“Why do you need to know?” Lom Pyke asked her, obviously annoyed at her prying.

“I just like to know who I’m working for,” Ahsoka replied casually despite the uneasiness she was feeling. There was a darkness here which she felt ran deeper than the crimes of the Pyke Syndicate. 

“You’re working for me,” Ventress spat, giving Ahsoka a warning look. “Thank you,” she said, returning her attention to Lom Pyke, “We’ll be going now. Come on,” she motioned for Ahsoka to join her on the ship, “I’ll give you your cut and you can get on your way.” 


End file.
